After peaceful and democratic transfer of power following the October 1 parliamentary elections, “more difficult” stage is now starting, PM Bidzina Ivanishvili said in his New Year’s address.

In the 5-minute long video address, which was shown by TV stations just before the midnight on December 31, Ivanishvili said that establishment of rule of law started in Georgia.

“After the [election] victory it is a duty of each of us to treat with dignity those, who wittingly or unwittingly were in service of lies and violence. We should spare no effort in order for them to take their dignified place in the society,”

“New and more difficult, but at the same time very interesting stage for the development of our country on the path of freedom, democracy and rebuilding is now starting,” the PM said.

“Georgia will definitely become such state; it will become the member of EU and NATO and next year [2013] will be the year of significantly getting closer to these goals,” he said.

Ivanishvili also said that the new Parliament and government took office slightly more than two months ago and “the most important thing has already started – establishment of rule of law, which is replacing political persecutions and selective application of justice.”

“In this short period of time, our government has shown to the society key priorities towards establishment of the socially fair state. We have set 2013 state budget in a way to make it oriented completely towards the people,” the Prime Minister said.

“Georgia should become interesting country for investments,” he said. “Strengthening of the civil society should become a guarantor that Georgia will never again return to the epoch of violence and fear.”

“We should build the country, which our children will be proud of, with unity, cooperation and forgiveness,” he said.

PM Ivanishvili also congratulated “our Abkhaz and Ossetian brothers” on New Year and said: “I believe that we will find the ways leading us to each others’ hearts and we will restore relations and we will jointly take care of our future,”